BADIN: Leaders of Save Badin Action Committee called off on Saturday the rallies and sit-ins farmers had been staging for several months against severe water shortage in the district after receiving assurances from PPP lawmakers and officers concerned that the district would be provided water by July 20.

However, the leaders warned at a press conference at Badin Press Club after meeting with the government’s delegation that if their demands remained unmet they would call a strike in all towns of the district after July 20.

PPP Badin chapter general secretary Haji Sain Bux Jamali reached the hunger strikers’ camp in Talhar town set up by the committee where a large number of farmers from different parts of the district were staging protest and requested them to hold talks with his party leaders and officials in Badin.

Afterwards, the committee leaders Khalil Ahmed Bhurgari, Mir Ghulam Rasool Talpur, Mir Noor Ahmed Talpur, Azizullah Dero, Khuda Dino Shah, Ameer Azad Panhwar and others held talks with Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Ashfaq Ahmed Memon, MNA Mir Ghulam Ali Nizamani, Senator Dr Sikandar Ali Mandhro, MPA Taj Mohammad Mallah, MD Sida Wali Mohammad Naich and other officials of Sida and irrigation department at the irrigation office in Badin and placed their demands before them for just distribution of water in the district.

Mr Memon and PPP lawmakers assured the leaders that all the areas of the district would receive ample water by July 20. They reportedly held out assurances that action would also be taken against those, who were found guilty of creating hindrances to judicious distribution of water and its regulation in channels of the district.

They told the committee leaders that Sindh government would also request Rangers personnel to help them in their efforts to take action against water thieves who were stealing water from Kotri Barrage to Alipur regulator.

Earlier, a large number of farmers took part in a 12-kilometre long march on foot from Senghari bus stop to Kadhan town to register their protest against the nagging water crisis in the channels of Kadhan irrigation sub-division.

Azizullah Dero, Ameer Azad Panhwar and other leaders led the march.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2019